The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) are working together, along with government and industry, to support the safe and responsible adoption of robotics in the workplace.

The project, launched today, 10 June 2026, at London Tech Week, has been co-designed with industry to give companies clarity on regulatory requirements, and support businesses to increase the use of robotics.

HSE will partner with Automate UK and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) to create practical guidance on how collaborative robots (cobots) can safely work alongside humans – combining industry good practice with HSE regulatory expertise .

The first stage, launching this summer will deliver regulatory clarity for cobots. It will give industry confidence in how they can ensure robots can work safely alongside humans.

Andrew Curran CBE, Director of Science and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Health and Safety Executive, said: “We recognise how guidance and advice can give employers the confidence to innovate safely and provide a platform for new technology to improve productivity and enable growth.

“We understand that despite there being no barrier to adoption in health and safety law there is a fear of non-compliance, which is limiting adoption. Therefore, we are committed to working with the Regulatory Innovation Office and industry partners to deliver the first joint HSE and industry guidance on the use of cobots to address this barrier and improve business confidence.”

More information

• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
• HSE’s Science and Research Centre is based in Buxton, Derbyshire. It is a world-leading centre for applied science, engineering and research in health and safety.

• Scaffolder suffered a broken arm, leg and head injury after falling through skylight 

• Principal contractor failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the roof work 

• Skylight was ‘almost invisible’ to workers  

Two construction companies have been fined £79,300 after a scaffolder broke his arm, leg and suffered head lacerations after falling through a roof skylight while installing temporary scaffolding edge protection at a warehouse in Yorkshire. 

James Cranswick, 26, was installing temporary scaffolding edge protection for Clover Access Systems Limited at a warehouse at Acre Mills in Keighley, West Yorkshire, when the incident took place. CCTV footage shows Mr Cranswick falling onto a pallet truck before landing on the warehouse floor.  

Mr Cranswick was on the roof carrying materials from one end of the unit to the other when he stepped on a skylight and subsequently fell more than 6 metres to the concrete floor beneath.  

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that both Clover Access Systems Limited and STM360 Limited failed to plan, manage and monitor the work being undertaken by the scaffolders at the unit. As such, no measures were in place to prevent the scaffolders falling from the edge of the unit, or through the fragile elements of the roof. The skylights of the unit were almost invisible to Mr Cranswick and he was unaware of any fragile elements of the roof.  

HSE guidance details a clear hierarchy for work involving fragile surfaces. Those in control of roof work should firstly avoid the need for access to fragile roofs. Further guidance can be found here: Health and safety in roof work 

Clover Access Systems Limited pleaded guilty to breaching The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Regulation 15. They were fined £26,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2866.42 and a victim surcharge £2000 and costs £2866.42 at Leeds Magistrates Court on 4 June 2026. The company are now in liquidation. 

STM360 Limited pleaded guilty to breaching The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Regulation 13. The company was fined £53,300 and ordered to pay £3167.73 in costs and a victim surcharge of £2000. 

HSE Inspector Shauna Halstead, said:  

“Mr Cranswick is lucky to be alive after this incident.  

“His fall was wholly avoidable; the risks associated with work on, or around fragile surfaces are well-known, and HSE guidance is available to assist companies in complying with the law.  

“Everyone working in construction should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action where roof work is not properly managed, as workers should not be needlessly put in harm’s way.  

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi and paralegal officer Hannah Snelling.   

More information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.  

1. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available. 

1. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.  

1. Relevant guidance can be found here Health and safety in roof work – HSE 

1. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.   

• Worker suffered life-changing crush injuries to arm after being pulled into a conveyor belt.
• Contact with moving machinery is one of the most common causes of workplace fatalities in Great Britain.
• HSE investigation found that the business had failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.

A Bristol-based waste and recycling business has been fined after a worker was drawn into machinery and suffered life changing-injuries.

On 27 January 2024 a worker undertaking duties at Bateman Skips Ltd waste and recycling facility in Bristol slipped and made contact with the unguarded tail-end of a conveyor belt that was carrying waste materials.

The worker was attempting to clear a blockage that had occurred on the plant when their arm was dragged into the machine causing crush injuries that resulted in bone fractures, severe lacerations to the arm, nerve damage and a fractured rib.

In a victim personal statement, the injured worker said:

“I used to enjoy riding my bike, playing darts and snooker with my sons, working on cars and I am now unable to do any of these tasks.”

“This has been the most traumatic thing I have ever experienced both physically and mentally, and I know it will continue to affect me for the rest of my life.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Bateman Skips Ltd failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees by failing to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery and by failing to implement a safe system of work for clearing a blockages within its waste recovery facility.

HSE guidance on the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) states that if part of a machine could present a reasonably foreseeable risk of harm, that part is considered a dangerous part of machinery.

Employers must protect their employees from dangerous parts of machinery by ensuring a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk is undertaken and safeguarding arrangements are in place such as the installation of guards and the implementation of a system of work which includes isolation of the plant ahead of any maintenance or cleaning activity, clear instructions, training and adequate supervision. PUWER guidance is freely available on the HSE website: PUWER 1998: Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Open learning guidance – HSE

Bateman Skips Ltd, of Broadmead Lane Industrial Estate, Bristol, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 and breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

The company was fined £64,666 and ordered to pay £4,657 in costs at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 5 June 2026.

HSE Inspector Laura Artosi said:

“Workers coming into contact with moving machinery is one of the most common causes of workplace fatalities in Great Britain. Quite often, this relates to poorly guarded machines and the lack of a robust health and safety management system.

“This wholly preventable incident caused this person and their family physical and emotional pain which has been affecting their lives ever since.

“Employers have a duty to create a safe and healthy work environment for their employees. In this instance, had Bateman Skips Ltd ensured guarding was installed to the tail-end of the conveyor machine and had the company implemented a safe system of work for clearing a blockage within their waste and recycling facility, this incident would not have occurred”.

This HSE prosecution was brought before the Court by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Jonathan Bambro and Paralegal Officer Gabrielle O’Sullivan.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases are available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here: Safe use of work equipment – HSE;  Machinery – HSE

5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Mykhalio Hustei, 35, had been working and living on the site.
• He fell down an exposed excavation hole after returning from a night out.
• Company only made site safe after his tragic death.

A construction company has been fined after a man drowned  when hefell into an exposed excavation hole described as a ‘death trap’, at  a building site in Hertfordshire.

Mykhalio Hustei had been working for Alchemist DB Limited as a labourer on a project building several flats on the High Street in Bovington. The 35-year-old had been living in a property adjoining the site when he attempted to make his way home from a night out on 22 October 2021. However, as he tried to access his own home he fell into one of the exposed excavation holes that was filled with rainwater. His body wasn’t found until around 2pm the following day.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Alchemist DB Limited had been acting as a contractor to build the flats as part of a family-run property development business. New excavation foundations had been dug for the building footings. However, they were crisscrossing the construction site without any designated safe walkways.

The investigation also found the company had failed to take appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of those moving around and working at the site. At best, large boards and planks were used as bridges over excavations. The boards and planks were slippery and bowed when walked across. The site was also open to the weather, making it highly likely it would be slippery after rain, increasing the risk to those at site. There was also no dedicated lighting to the site and the boards and planks didn’t have handrails and weren’t secured.

The company only made the site safe after HSE inspectors visited the site following Mr Hustei’s death and took enforcement action. This included them installing dedicated walkways bridging over exposed excavations using scaffolding framework to prevent falls.

HSE guidance clearly states that no work should take place until all excavations are made safe. This includes protecting the edges of excavations with substantial barriers where people are liable to fall into them. Our guidance on excavation is available at hse.gov.uk.

Alchemist DB Limited of Devonshire House, Manor Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, were sentenced in absence for breaching Regulation 22(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 costs at a hearing in Luton Magistrates Court on 29 May 2026.

Alchemist DB Limited of Devonshire House, Manor Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, were sentenced in absence for breaching Regulation 22(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 costs at a hearing in Luton Magistrates Court on 29 May 2026.  Since the incident, the company is now in liquidation.

HSE inspector Rauf Ahmed said:

“As always, our thoughts remain with the family of Mr Hustei, a young man who was just setting out on his career in construction.

“He had been simply returning to his flat after socialising with friends.

“However, the site was quite literally a death trap.

“The measures put in place by the company after his tragic death are a crude reminder about what could and should have been done in the first place.

“We will always take action against those who fail to protect people from risk.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and paralegal officer Rebecca Forman.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance on excavation is available at hse.gov.uk
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

Britain’s health and safety regulator is part of a landmark project that could transform air travel, and shows how safety expertise drives innovation, not holds it back.

Scientists at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have helped deliver a major milestone in hydrogen-powered flight, in partnership with Rolls-Royce – after the successful test of the first jet engine to reach full take-off power running on 100% hydrogen.

The project was part of a world-first programme of hydrogen aviation research for Rolls-Royce, which demonstrates how Britain’s science-led regulatory expertise is helping to unlock the technologies needed to achieve net zero flight.

HSE’s specialist team of scientists at its state-of-the-art Science and Research Centre in Buxton worked with Rolls-Royce to design, manufacture and install high-flow, high-pressure hydrogen control and monitoring gas supply infrastructure. The program culminated in the Engine GH2 test – the first time in the world that work of this type has been performed.

At the heart of HSE’s contribution was its support for Rolls-Royce’s rig test programme. HSE’s scientists provided rigorous safety analysis of the test design, combining deep technical knowledge with practical, hands-on experience of safe working with hydrogen in demanding environments. This enabled the programme to move from initial design through to commissioning and live testing at pace, without compromising on safety.

HSE’s hydrogen research team has been at the forefront of hydrogen research across multiple sectors for over 20 years. The team has worked with major UK aerospace companies including Airbus and Rolls-Royce, supporting projects that work closely with the Aerospace Technology Institute and directly advance the UK Government’s growth agenda.

This programme exemplifies HSE’s ambition to enable industry to innovate safely – demonstrating that strong safety foundations are not a barrier to growth, but one of the essential conditions that makes it possible.

Dr Nigel A Moss, Aerospace Sector Manager at HSE’s Science and Research Centre, said:

“Safety is always front and centre within the aerospace sector and the development of hydrogen as an alternative to hydrocarbon-based jet fuel presents challenges across many different technical fronts.

“Our team’s work here is not about slowing innovation down – it is precisely what enables it to proceed at pace and with confidence. Getting the safety foundations right is what makes breakthroughs like this possible.”

Adam Newman, Chief Engineer, Hydrogen Demonstrator Programme, Rolls-Royce, commented:

“This programme has given us the clearest understanding in the industry of how hydrogen behaves in a modern aero gas turbine. Through a collaborative, staged testing approach, we have validated combustion, fuel and control system technologies, and demonstrated the safe use of hydrogen through design, commissioning, maintenance and testing.

“We have explored a wide range of operating conditions, including fault scenarios, enabling operation at maximum power and across a full flight cycle. The pace of delivery has been critical, and the insights gained, many of which are fuel agnostic, will now be applied across our future programmes, including UltraFan®, strengthening our confidence that the gas turbine will remain at the forefront of sustainable aviation’s future.”

Further Information

• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
• HSE’s Science and Research Centre is based in Buxton, Derbyshire. It is a world-leading centre for applied science, engineering and research in health and safety.
• Rolls-Royce plc is a world-leading industrial technology company. Its aerospace division develops and manufactures power and propulsion systems for civil and defence aviation.